Independent watchmaking continued its hot streak in 2024, with interest and demand for this niche segment holding up better amidst an industry-wide slowdown. But surprisingly – or unsurprisingly depending on how you look at it – there were relatively few outstanding new creations from the indies.
A handful, however, did stand out. We look at the team’s highlights of the year, which range from Konstantin Chaykin’s thinnest-watch-ever to the debut by Swiss-based Japanese watchmaker Takahiro Aigaki.
Aigaki Direct-Impulse Tourbillon – Brandon Moore
I still remember the moment I stumbled across Takahiko Aigaki’s Instagram profile earlier this year, because the close-up image of the tourbillon cage made me do a double take.
Sure, it was well finished, but in 2024 good finishing no longer provides the competitive advantage it once did; the top end of the market is just too competitive. No, what struck me was the unusual double direct-impulse escapement.
When the Direct-Impulse Tourbillon was finally revealed, it was worth the wait. While arguably a bit plain on the outside, the movement exhibits a degree of grace and technicality that is still quite rare. The watch is truly a sleeper, in the sense that the case and dial reveal little of the horological magic within.
Daniel Roth Tourbillon – Brandon Moore
It’s counterintuitive to be writing about the launch of the Daniel Roth brand in 2024, considering the man himself was one of the seminal independent watchmakers in the late 1980s.
But after a couple tumultuous decades, during which time the Daniel Roth name largely disappeared, the brand has found a new home within the LVMH stable, and is poised to be a major beneficiary of the group’s renewed focus on fine watchmaking.
The regular production tourbillon (left), and the souscription edition
First launched in a 20-piece souscription edition in yellow gold, the Tourbillon collection now includes a standard production model in rose gold. Aesthetically, the watch succeeds in its resemblance to early Daniel Roth tourbillons, with a few tweaks to details like the lugs.
But despite the visual similarity, the movement is completely new. Early Roth tourbillons were built on an off-the-shelf Lemania ebauche, coincidentally designed by Daniel Roth himself during his tenure at Breguet. In contrast, the new DR001 movement is produced by Louis Vuitton subsidiary La Fabrique du Temps (LFT) and features improved finishing and a pleasing form that perfectly fits the iconic double ellipse case.
Greubel Forsey Nano Foudroyante EWT – David Ichim
Greubel Forsey’s big moment of 2024 came with the introduction of the Nano Foudroyante EWT. A first for the brand, the chronograph is almost dwarfed by the flying tourbillon regulator that has a foudroyante hand fixed to the rotating cage. The foudroyante hand continuously makes one rotation every second alongside the one-minute revolution of the tourbillon carriage.
Despite its lightning-fast speed, the seconds hand barely registers in terms of mainspring energy consumption (thus leaving chronometry unaffected) as it requires energy in the order of nanoJoules.
The timepiece also marks the 20th anniversary of the brand, but more importantly it suggests the innovative manufacture has returned to its original motivation of making chronometrical pieces defined by advanced mechanics and high finish.
The movement bears all the trademarks of a Greubel Forsey calibre — inventive architecture and on-point finishing to the smallest detail. The future looks bright for the independent watchmaker, which seems again ready to experiment with new concepts and complications.
Konstantin Chaykin ThinKing – David Ichim
One of the year’s most surprising creations by an independent was without a doubt Konstantin Chaykin’s ThinKing, an ultra-thin timepiece that measures just 1.65 mm in thickness. The watch comes as a surprise because it beats establishment powerhouses in ultra-thin mechanical watchmaking like Bulgari and Richard Mille.
In building the ThinKing, Chaykin heavily reworked basic watch components, from the stripped-down barrel to a regulator with the hairspring and flywheel fixed on different axis.
Beyond the audacious concept, the work must have been tremendous, given the fact that Konstantin Chaykin is a small independent manufacture without access to a large-scale research and development facility (or help from an external specialist).
The ThinKing manages to also touch on some aesthetic sensibilities — the regulator-style time display along with the engraved brand name make up a grinning face, a recurring motif in Chaykin’s Wristmon collection.
Ulysse Nardin Freak S Nomad – Jason Lee
The Freak S Nomad is the first Freak to unite artisanal craft with its forward-thinking movement in a successful blend of tradition and high-tech. It features a hand-engraved guilloché dial that, in a unique twist, also serves as the barrel cover for the unconventional movement architecture.
Building on the Freak S introduced two years ago, the Nomad adopts a more subdued colour palette and introduces texture and depth with the engine-turned dial. Although the Nomad retains the underlying mechanics of the original, the aesthetic updates — most notably the rotating guilloche dial — lend the watch a sportier character that complements the design.
Not only does the Freak S have most of the movement mounted on a rotating carousel, it’s upgraded with twin inclined balance wheels in silicon, underlining the original Freak’s pioneering use of silicon.
Voutilainen Tourbillon 20th Anniversary – SJX
The anniversary tourbillon captures the greatness of Voutilainen – exceptional quality and consistency. Every element is executed well, and it’s not particularly surprising or imaginative, the watch is greater than the sum of its parts. And as expected for Voutilainen, the tourbillon is priced reasonably for what it is.
Zoom into the watch, front and back, and the quality of work is apparent. The guilloche on the dial is tidy and refined, while the hands are clearly hand made yet almost perfect. While the dial designs on some of the prototypes were not to my taste, Voutilainen offers extensive dial customisation, which is another of the brand’s key strengths and something that many clients particularly enjoy (perhaps sometimes too much).
The movement is equally well done, a feat that is perhaps even more impressive given that few other makers can achieve this quality at Voutilainen’s scale. Not only is the finishing and construction excellent, Voutilainen also offers several finishing styles for its movements, again demonstrating the brand’s strength.
It is traditional in almost all respects, from finishing to construction, illustrating Voutilainen’s preference for old-school watchmaking. Mr Voutilainen doesn’t try too hard to be different or radical, but instead focuses on doing a few things very, very well.
More broadly, the watch also encapsulates the strength of the business that Kari Voutilainen has built, which now includes a dedicated guilloche building. The breath and expertise across its workshops enable Voutilainen to create the kind of quality found in the tourbillon, and at scale. This is both amusing and ironic given that Mr Voutilainen told me he dreamed of selling two or three watches a year when he first started out on his own.
